The Metalsucks Podcast

This week our guest is Michel “Away” Langevin of the legendary Voivod! We discuss how the band wanted their new album Synchro Anarchy to be more thrash metal than their previous record The Wake, how the band barely rehearsed and wrote the album as they recorded, the band's recent live record Lost Machine, the upcoming Voivod documentary that was funded on Kickstarter, and the 40th anniversary Voivod book they're putting together for fans. Michel also tells us about his Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor approach as a heavy metal drummer, his favorite and least favorite Voivod artwork, and the art book he is compiling from all his years of drawing. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the break up of Every Time I Die, their personal memories as fans of the band, and the passing of Meat Loaf. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Songs: Voivod - “Paranormalium” and “Planet Eaters” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will Putney joins us again this week! We discuss Fit For an Autopsy's latest album, Oh What The Future Holds, producing the latest Every Time I Die record, Radical, the importance of having a message in his lyrical output, how he finds it difficult to support artists whose messages misalign with his own, why he is happy to be “a little dumber” so modern issues don’t consume him, his upcoming tour cycle with END, and what his home stereo system is like as a music producer. Petar and Brandon discuss what Judas Priest would sound like as a four-piece, Bruce Dickinson recording a new solo album, and Metallica and Tool employing Covid-sniffing dogs for tour safety. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Songs: Fit For An Autopsy - "Two Towers" and “Far From Heaven," END - “Hesitation Wounds” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shadow of Intent guitarist Chris Wiseman is our guest this week! We discuss their brand new album, Elegy, his lyrical approach to the record, and how he got Chuck Billy and Phil Bozeman as guests. We also talk about postponing their European tour due to rising Covid cases, what they learned on their recent U.S. tour with Born Of Osiris, the big spectrum of how headlining bands set rules for modern touring, the pros and cons of self-releasing the band's music, why signing to a label feels like “giving up," and his plans to release different versions of Elegy. Petar and Brandon tackle Avenged Sevenfold singer M. Shadows' comments that the band's new album was “very influenced by Kanye West”, their thoughts on the latest reboot of Beavis and Butt-Head, and the viral video featuring children who don't know any songs by the bands on the shirts they're wearing. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Songs: Shadow Of Intent - “Where Millions have Come to Die” (featu

Venom Prison vocalist Larissa Stupar is our guest this week! We discuss the challenge of making their new album, Erebos, as the world continued to change around them, recording vocals at her home studio, why the artwork is such an important piece of Venom Prison's presentation, the healing effect of writing “Pain of Oizys” about past trauma, returning to the stage at the Bloodstock festival after over a year off, and how Brexit has affected bands from the U.K. touring in Europe. We also talk about how society needs to offer support to the lower class with more compassion, the message and marketing that promotes addiction to social drugs, and harmful immigration policies across the world. Petar and Brandon discuss Sammy Hagar's claim that he was asked to replace Phil Anselmo in Pantera, Corey Taylor's prediction of a new Slipknot album in 2022, and Avenged Sevenfold working on completing their own new record in January. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

On our final episode of the year, we continue our Best of 2021 recap (stream part 1 here), revealing our top 5 albums of the year and chatting with some of the artist that made our list, including Chevelle's Pete Loeffler, Zao's Scott Mellinger and members of Green Lung. Don’t miss out on celebrating the music that left the biggest impression on us and broke through all the noise of 2021. Until next year, friends... thank you for every minute you gave us, and we are excited to jump back into it in 2022! Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2021 is almost behind us, so this week on The MetalSucks Podcast we celebrate all the hope and despair that our favorite artists gave us in a year of comebacks and the new normal we collectively felt. We play one track from every record we loved and praise those artists for giving us music that has been unforgettable. Please join us in celebrating the first half of our top 15 albums of the year and gain some insight into those releases through featured interviews with some of the artists that brightened and enlightened, connected to us from a distance, and channeled all the emotions that remind us we are human. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jami Morgan from Code Orange is back on the show! We discuss the recent standalone single "Out For Blood," his perspective on the growing importance of singles in rock and metal, the reality of having to create new music faster in the current landscape, how being a frontman is more exhausting than being a drummer, Max Portnoy becoming a full time member of the band, why he feels Code Orange are in it for the long game and how they are intentionally polarizing. Petar and Brandon tackle the police raid of Marilyn Manson’s home and seizure of his hard drives, The Word Alive befriending the thieves who stole their gear, and John Cooper of Skillet calling Rage Against The Machine “government rock.” Songs: Code Orange - “Out For Blood," Daxma - “The Clouds Parted” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Imperial Triumphant guitarist Zachary Ilya Ezrin is our guest this week. We discuss the band's latest album, Alphaville, his thoughts on NFTs in music, embracing all the changes that come into the industry, making the band's new live album available only on vinyl, the band's relationship with New York City, and completing their first headlining tour since the pandemic began. Petar and Brandon tackle the jaw-dropping Lars Ulrich toilet, Kid Rock’s latest misfire, and Danko Jones calling out fellow Canadian artists Monster Truck. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Songs: Imperial Triumphant - "Transmission to Mercury (Live at Slipper Room)," Darkwoods My Betrothed - “In Evil, Sickness, and in Grief” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Death Angel riff master Rob Cavestany is our guest this week! We discuss the Grammy nomination of their last record, Humanicide, performing acoustic songs on the band's latest live album, The Bastard Tracks, and what it was like revisiting deep cuts for it, fan backlash for having to reschedule the Bay Strike Backs tour with Testament and Exodus again, the precautions he and Death Angel will take once they're back on the road, and how he wants to get out there just as badly as the fans want him to. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle Rammstein guitarist Richard Kruspe's comments about Ghost not being a stadium band, why today's artists can’t make the same impact as previous generations, and Marilyn Manson’s lawyer's recent comments that he's open to a "global" settlement with the shock rocker's alleged victims. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Songs: Death Angel - ”Where They Lay," Exodus - “The Years of Death and Dying” Learn more about your ad choice

Converge frontman Jacob Bannon is our guest this week! We discussed the band's forthcoming 10th studio album, Bloodmoon: I, and the story of how he finally got to collaborate on it with Chelsea Wolfe, Cave In's Stephen Brodsky and multi-instrumentalist Ben Chisholm, how the songs evolved with everyone’s contributions throughout the process, how each participant pushed one another's creative boundaries for the better, the music he's been listening to lately, the negativity of making music a competition within scenes, and reaching your goals in life with a positive path. Petar and Brandon discuss Trivium frontman Matt Heafy’s comment that Metallica are the greatest band on Earth, Avenged Sevenfold waiting to release their next album, Limp Bizkit’s new record, and the Foo Fighters upcoming horror-comedy film. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Songs: Converge and Chelsea Wolfe - “Blood Moon” and “Coil," Thulcandra - “Funeral Pyre” Learn more about your ad c

Khemmis co-guitarist and co-vocalist Phil Pendergast is our guest this week! We discuss the band's new album, Deceiver, the long and difficult process of writing lyrics for it, fighting through a lack of motivation and depression during the pandemic, how Deceiver connects to the band's breakthrough album, Hunted, the exit of bassist Dan Beiers during the record's creation, and why they are planning their touring schedule for the next year especially carefully. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Marilyn Manson joining a prayer circle with Kanye West and Justin Bieber, the possibility of Manson turning to Christianity, Mastodon's Brent Hinds use of a homophobic slur and the band's subsequent apology, and Slipknot fans starting a fire in the pit at a show in Arizona. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Songs: Khemmis - “Living Pyre” and “House of Cadmus," Dream Unending - “In Cipher I Weep” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adch

Whitechapel vocalist Phil Bozeman is our guest this week! We discuss the band's new record, Kin, the challenge of revisiting his childhood for its lyrical themes, the necessity of tackling your past and forcing yourself to face it regardless, the music videos that accompany the storytelling on the album, and how his perception of reality has changed dramatically as he grows into his 30s. We also talk about how he doesn’t get TikTok, how social media has become our main news source and how that affects us culturally, adapting to the generational gap and how quickly it changes, and his thoughts on touring after the pandemic. Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss Nikki Sixx's comment about performing “tired and with a beer belly," Ivan Moody choosing a side in the Bad Wolves / Tommy Vext beef, and Gene Simmons selling his Las Vegas mansion for a very large profit after less than a year. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Songs: Whitechapel - “A Bloodsoaked Sym

Steve "Stevic" MacKay of Twelve Foot Ninja is our guest this week to discuss the band's new album, Vengeance, sitting on it for over a year while the pandemic raged on, the new novel and graphic novel connected to the album, teaching himself how to code to build a Twelve Foot Ninja video game, working with Huey Lewis and Jinjer's Tatiana Shmayluk on music videos, and a session gig he took working on a season of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, among other topics. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Dani Filth blowing off Faust’s murder confession in 1993, and Chino Moreno blaming weed for Stephen Carpenter’s flat-earth and anti-vaccine viewpoints. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Songs: Twelve Foot Ninja - “Start the Fire" and “Over and Out" (Featuring Tatiana Shmayluk of Jinjer), Wolftooth - “The Voyage” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Melvins drummer Dale Crover is our guest this week! We discuss the band's new album of acoustic re-imaginings, Five Legged Dog, how the band narrowed down the song list for it, which songs the band attempted to rework but failed, and his thoughts on doing an acoustic tour. We also talk about the recent passing of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, how he found out fellow Melvins drummer Coady Willis got the job with High On Fire, his new pandemic hobby of golfing, and an update on his solo material. Petar and Brandon discuss two members of Mötley Crüe making the news for falling and hurting themselves this week -- Tommy Lee’s pool slip and Vince Neil’s stage fall -- which legendary artist gets the funnier news treatment, Danzig or Vince Neil, and Kerry King’s statement that Slayer called it quits too early. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Songs: Melvins - “Night Goat” (Acoustic) and “Sway” (The Rolling Stones Cover), Monolord - “I’ll Be Damned” Lear

Lewis and Henry de Jong, the brothers behind Alien Weaponry, join us this week! We discuss the the band's new album, Tangaroa, the record's themes of environmental awareness and how everyone needs to do more, why they felt writing about their Maori heritage was extremely important, how touring has changed their perspective on major issues affecting the world, how to fix mistakes made by previous generation by being vocal, and their recent performance with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn turn in another music episode inspired by a listener email asking about the best nu metal bands people may not have heard of, and we discuss how the movement holds up 20 years later. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Songs: Alien Weaponry - “Buried Underground” and “Tangaroa” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeremy Spencer, aka Grim Synner from Psycho Synner (the band formerly known as Psychosexual) -- and former drummer for Five Finger Death Punch -- is our guest on this special half-episode of the podcast! We discuss why the band rebranded from Psychosexual to Psycho Sinner, his plan to release nine albums on the same day (and when that will happen) and the visual aesthetic of the band changing along with its name. We also talk about the horror film script he is currently working on, creating three feature-length films he wrote and directed with adult stars, how he believes people are extremely sensitive these days, how he hopes to push the envelope of the current culture with the band, and the massive influence of Gwar on the project. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Jozalyn going on tour during the pandemic, the audiences she has been encountering, accidentally bullying people in attendance and much more. Songs: Psycho Synner - “On Your Grave” and "Devil From Hell” Learn more about your ad choice

Our guest this week is Local H mastermind Scott Lucas! We discuss the band's latest album, Lifers, and his activity on social media to promote it during the pandemic, working on the record with legendary producer Steve Albini, his tribute song to George Floyd, and how artists are often unaware of how many people their music reaches. We also talk about performing all of his albums in full throughout the years, allowing the audience to pick what tracks the band performs, how he has been in his own head during recent performances because of the extended time away from touring, and his passion for film scores. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss David Lee Roth announcing his retirement from music, and whether Ozzy Osbourne will ever tour again in light of the slew of legendary guests on his next album. Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support! Songs: Local H - “Hold That Thought," “(We Are) The Road Crew" (Motörhead cover) and “Hackensack" (Fountains of Wayne cover)

Guitarist Jani Liimatainen of Insomnium (ex-Sonata Arctica) is our guest on this special half-episode of the podcast! We discuss the band's new EP, Argent Moon, releasing the songs as singles throughout the pandemic, how the tour for their last album, Heart Like A Grave, was completely cut short but they decided to forge ahead with new music anyway, the upcoming 25th anniversary of the band, the emotions of seeing his first live concert (as a fan) in a year and a half, why he likes to play obscure tracks live for fans, and the timeframe for a new full-length Insomnium record. Songs: Insomnium “The Conjurer” and “The Antagonist," 1914 - “…And A Cross Now Marks His Place” (Featuring Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rivers of Nihil vocalist Jake Dieffenbach is our guest this week to discuss the band's new album, The Work! We talk about how the band fearlessly continues to pursue their own musical direction with no boundaries, the meaning of and story behind the Dan Seagrave cover artwork, the pressure of following up their critically acclaimed 2018 album Where Owls Know My Name, why he felt he needed 18 months off after touring non-stop in support of that record, feeling a little rusty after entering the new normal of pandemic road life, the challenge of being hard of hearing and pursuing a career as a musician, the reality that his hearing could continue to degrade as a result of performing, and how Rivers are Nihil are going to convert podcast host Petar's stepson into a metal lifer. Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss the disgruntled fan who drove his car into the front of the venue at a P.O.D. show, Petar talking his stepson to his very first heavy metal concert, and Metallica’s Black Album returning to the top te

Sven de Caluwé of Aborted is back for a special half-episode of the podcast! We discuss how he needed the band's new album Maniacult to keep him connected to music, how the horror movies he binge-watched during the pandemic inspired the album, why he feels the first two Friday the 13th films didn’t age well, how the 25th anniversary of the band passed by during Covid, creating an action figure to sell to fans for the new album, and his favorite action figure toys from his youth. Petar and Brandon get ready for October by celebrating the horror films that made them fall in love with the genre, the series they need to revisit, and the first film that scared them into loving the feeling of fear from cinema. Songs: Aborted - “Dementophobia” and “Drag Me To Hell” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices